Draft-arm



W. S. TROWBRIDGE.

DRAFT ARM. APPLICATION FILED JUNE I6, 1919.

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DRAFT ARM. APPLICATION FILED IUNE I6. 1919- 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2..

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Patented Apr. 5, 1921.

W. S. TROWBRIDGE.

DRAFT ARM.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 16, l9l9. 1,873,780. Patented Apr. 5,1921.

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@y @Mmm/L ff WILLIAM s. TROWBIILIDGE, or CIIICAGfO,v ILLINOIS, AssIGNoR To AMERICAN STEEL EOUNDEIES, or- CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OE NEW JERSEY. I

DRAFT-ARM. y

Patented Apr.- 5, '1921.VV

Application led June 16, 1919. Serial No. 304,579,

To all whom it l'may concern:

Be itvknown that I, WILLIAM S. IRow- BRIDGE, a citizen of the United States, lesidino at Chicago, in the county of Cook and tate of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Draft- Arms, of' which the following is a specication.

This invention relates to draft arms.

Generally speaking, in a given sense, draft arms are of two types,.inside and outside.

The inside type of draft arm has its upper offset vertical flange on the inner'sideof a center sill, and the outer type has its upper offset vertical flange on the Outer side of ay center sill. Whether or not an inside or outside arm is used depends upon theY spacing of the center sills and the total width between kthe lower part of the arms for the draw bar pocket; Recently the draw bar pocket has been more Or less standardized and the draw barv followers `are now` practically all 12ginches long. Consequently, the two draft arms are spaced so that the draft pocket formed by the two arms is 12g,L inches wide. If the two center sills are somewhat close'together, the out- Y side design of draft arm is used. If the two center sills are quite far apart, the 1nside type of draft arm is used. Ihis is done largely `for the purpose of locating the vertical bolts and passing same down through the sill and the upper horizontal flange of the draft arm "in a manner to clear the main web member in the lower part of the drafti arm which forms the. outside walls ofthe pocket. The ydraw bar pocket and the pulling and bufling surfaces vin each end of the pocket of course always'have to be on the inside ofthe arms. `I-Ieretofore an Outside. design of draft arm could be used only as. such, the inside design of draft arm beingy capable only forits particular location. IfV

an attempt were madeV to use anl Outside draft arm as an inside draft arm, as de signed heretofore, the draw bar pocket would be on the outer face of the arm in= stead Of on the inner face of the arm. 'Thus' it is apparent'that ifa draft'V arm could be' used interchangeably as anv inner draftarm orl an outer draft arm, and still have the draw barpocket onfthe inside, there would be many advantages in the construction and repair of the draft mechanism of cars.

To fthis 'end,.one. obj ect of my invention is cooperating `draft arms ofthe outside type i tion shown in Fig. 5, which is the portion at to i'- make it possible to; interchangeably useV a draft arm on either the inside or outside4 of a center sill and at the same time pro- These and other vobjects are'accomplished l by means offthe mechanism. showny on the accompanying sheets of drawings, in wlllfh` Y v Figure v1 isa plan view of draft arms embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the'same;

Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 are respectively sec-` tional views taken in the planes'of lines 3-f3, 4 4, 5 5; 6-6 and'-'Y of Fig. 1;

Fig. 8 is a sectional view of a modified form of draft arm, the section corresponding to the section shown in Fig. Y

Fig. 9 is a cross sectional view through' and showing sills carried' thereby;

Fig. 10 is a cross sectional view through the sameV draft arms, showing liners 'adjacent the sills for properly'spacingsame;

Fig. 11 is a cross sectional view through coperating draft arms'of the inside type and showing sills carried thereby; andY 1 Fig. 12 is across sectional viewtlirough the same draft arms, showing liners adjacent thesills for properly spacing same.

The various noveli features of my inven tion will be Iapparent" fromtheL following description Vand drawings and .willbe' par- Y ticularly pointed yout in fthe vappended claims. Y y* Y Referring to the figuresV ofthe drawings,- it will be noted that I have shown two draft arms 10 spaced apart and connected at their front ends vby a cross vsill construction 11 and having mounted. thereover center 'sills '127.'

tically.' In connectionwitli-the vertical webs 13, particular attention' is called tothe sec- Which the draw bar pocket is formed. .The

draw bar pocket as mentioned hereinbefore must always be VonI the inside of'thedraft arm whether or not 'the draft arrnis of the type which is mounted lto theY outer side lof'110` The .front Vhalf of eachdraft arm is provided Y with a main web 13, -whichis arranged verthe center sill or to the inner side of the center sill.

As shown in Figs. 5 and 9, the center sills 12 are embraced by offset vertical flanges 14, said anges being at the outer sides of said sills, the draft arm 10 accordingly being an outside type of draft arm. This offset vertical flange 14 projects upwardly from a transversely extending horizontally arrano'ed portion 15 of the draft arm, the center sill 12 resting upon said horizontal portion 15; As it is necessary. to' have a fia-nge along the'lower side of the pocket on the outside of the web in order to secure the proper amount of strength and at the same time provide means to which carry-irons may be bolted, I have provided an angle member 16, which, as shown in Figs. 5 and 9 to 12 inclusive, is riveted in each case to the lower portion of the web 18. This angle member 16, however, originally is left off the arms and is riveted in place later, either on one side or the other, as may be necessary. In other words, the main vertical web which forms the pocket is not provided at its lower edge with an angle member or flange until it is lmown whether or not thedraft arm is to be used as an inner or outer type of draft arm. It is apparent, therefore, that if the draft arm shownin Fig. 5 is yto be used as an inner draft arm, that is, with the offset vertical flange 14 engaging the inner side of the center sill 12, as shown in Fig. 11, theV same may be accomplished by securing the angle member or flange 16 to the other side of the main vertical web 13. In accordance with the standardized dimensions of the various parts, assuming that the center sills ordinarily are five inches wide,- the outside type of draft arm is used if the center sills are spaced less than eight inches apart, while the inside type of draft arm-is used if the center sills are spaced more than eight inches apart.

To provide for a standard width of pocket of 12% inches, as shown in Figs. 9 to 12 inclusive, the narrowest spacing of the sills 12 that could be used would be eight inches, but by using shims or liners 19, as shown in connection with the inside type of draft arm in Fig. 12, a wider spacing of thesills 12 may be permitted. In other words, if the draft arms are used as inside draft arms, they could be used on sill spacing not less than eight inches but greater than eight inches.

, Liners as thick as two inches could be used,

which would kmakeit possible to use inside draft arms on a spacing of sills anywhere between eight and twelve inches. If the outside type of draft arm is used, as shown in Figs. 9 and 10, with the same sizeof pocket being maintained, the widest spacing of sills that could be used would be nineteen inches overall; but by using shims or liners 19 of the proper thickness, the outside type of arm could be used with a spacing of sills of nineteen inches or under, say to fteen inches, which for the usual standard sill would mean a spacing of approximately five inchesin between the same.

If desired, instead of having the separate reinforcing flange or angle member 16 detachably connected to the main center web 13, the lower edge of the center web of each of the draft arms may be provided with an integrally formed iiange 17 on each. side, as

shown, for example, in the sectionappearing in Fig. 8. With such an arrangement,-

a portion of the flange formed at the lower edge of they web 18 could fbecut or burned away at tie draw bar pocketafter it was interchangeably as an inside type of drafty arm or an outside type of draft arm,.while at the same time providing a draw bar` pocket on the inside ofthe draft arm. It isv my intention to `cover all modifications of the invention yfalling within the spirit and scope of thefollowing claims. j

I claim: n 1. A draft arm` having aweb and a sill flange, andI means whereby a draw bar pocket is formed onthe inner side of saidv o on the inner or outer side of a center sill.

web whether the arm is used with said flange f 2. A draft arm having a main vertical" web and an offset vertical sill fiange, and

means whereby a drawbar pocket is formed.V

on the inner side of said Vweb whether the arm is used with said flange on the inner or f,

outer side of a center sill.

3. A draft arm havingl a weband a sill flange, means wherebyy av draw bar pocket is formed on the inner side of saidweb whether the arm is used with said angeon the inner or outer side of a center sill, vand strengthening means on the outerv side ofy said web.

4. A draft arm having a main verticalv web and an offset vertical sill ange, meansl whereby a draw bar pocket isv formed on the inner side of said web whether vthe arm' is used with said flange on the inner or outer side of a center sill, and strengtheningv means on the outer side of said web.

5. A draft arm having a web, and means whereby a draw bar pocket may be formedY on either side so that the draft arm may be used on the inner or outerA side of an associated sill. f

6. A draftarm having'a web,landvmeans i whereby a draw bar pocket may be formed on both sides so that the draft armimay` be used on the inner or outer side of an assosrv ciated sill.'v

7 A draft arm having la main verticalv web, and means associated with said web whereby the draft arm may be used either with a portion thereof on the inner or outer side of a center sill and at the same time provide a draw bar pocket on the inner side of said draft arm;Y

8. A cast metal draft arm having a main vertical web and a vertical flange for engaging the inner or outer sides of center sills, and strengthening means associated with said main vertical web for engaging one side thereof when the flange engages one side of a center sill and for engaging the opposite side of said web when said flange engages a side of an associated center sill.

9. A cast metal draft arm having a main vertical web and an offset vertical flange adapted to be secured to the inner or outer side of a center sill, and means detachably connected to one side of said web when said flange engages one side of the center sill and for engaging the opposite side of said web when said flange engages an associated center sill. Y

10. Draft arms having flanged heads that may be attached to either the inner orY outer side of center sills, webs depending from the heads, and means carried by the lower portions of the webs for supporting a draft rigging between the inner faces of the draft arm.`

11. A cast metal draft arm having a web and vertical andhorizontal flanges for engagement with either the inner or outer sides of a center sill, and means whereby a draw bar pocket is formed on the inner sides of said web irrespective of the manner of en agement ofthe arms with the center sills.

igned at Chicago, Illinois, this fifth day of June, 1919.

WILLIAM S. TROWBRIDGE.' 

